...confused

[DoubleA]

Hello,

I am making this thread to hear advices, opinions on what should I do...

My problem is that I love cues more than playing the game itself. I mean I read much-much more about cues than I play with them... I am in the middle of taking my final exams now so that's easy to understand as I don't have time to go away from home and practice, however even when I do have the free time to go and practice I rather draw cue designs, read this forum - I read this forum at least 3-4 hours each and every day - and try to gather as much information as I can no matter what part of a cue's construction it is. So I can say that I play about 3-4 hours once a week and I think about cues (read about them, draw them, etc.) at least 20 hours a week and that is what's been going on for more than a year now.

I assume that owing to all that I want a cue made by a custom cuemaker like Travis Nicklich, Tad, Skip Weston, Richard Harris, Mottey, Scruggs, Bryan Fisher, Nitti... those are the names whom I have considered by now and who could be in my budget... I think I'd spend about $1,300 on a cue.

But - and this is a big BUT -, I don't feel like my game is up not even to these craftsman but to my Schon. When I am at home and looking at the Cue Gallery or FS section of this site I feel like I MUST get a cue like those... I am fond of plain ebony 4 pt 4 veneer cues of (for example) Paul Mottey. But when I am down at the pool hall and play with my Schon I feel like I do not deserve those cues...

I mean I can run two or three tables in a race to 7 in 8 or 9-ball on my better days but I would not use my cue more than 3-4 hours a week. The other side of the coin is that I have read about these cues so much and I admire these men so much that I feel like I must have one of their works.

This is why I am so confused... What do You think, should I get one of these cues or not? Any opinion or advice is greatly appreciated.

Follow your heart and your bankroll.

 

[mantis99]

I don't know many people who play 3-4 hours one day a week, yet run a few racks in a race to 7. Heck, most pros only run a few racks in a race to 7. Maybe that was a slight exageration.

I would also say that collecting cues is a nice hobby, but your money will get you more with wiser investments at your age. I would try to keep a lid on the cues that you buy. Maybe one desireable cue now, and more as you become more financially stable in life.

 

[poohkiller]

Nah, that was not an exageration and I think that is not that much of a great thing if you consider that I've been playing for 11 years out of which about 4 regularly. Also, like I said I play against a player who's much better than me and he not only forces me to play good but whenever I am sitting and he shoots I learn a lot. As for the pros: the pros do better than I do and they do all that on tables with smaller pockets and with great pressure on them. When we play against each other there is some pressure on me as I like to take the game seriously, but by no means as much as on the pros and the pockets are 5" or over. I think that makes a great difference.

As for collecting... I would not start collecting cues by now, I just feel like I need a cue from one of those cuemakers whose work interests me so much.

Thank you for your answer,